Chair assembly

ABSTRACT

A WOODEN BACK PANEL OF A CHAIR IS ATTACHED TO EACH OF TWO TUBULAR BACK SUPPORTS BY A PAIR OF SCREWS EACH THREADED INTO AN INSERT CONNECTED TO THE BACK PANEL AND HAVING A HEAD PROJECTING INTO THE SUPPORT FOR ENGAGEMENT BY A LOCK MEMBER SLIDABLY DISPOSED WITHIN THE SUPPORT. RESILIENT WASHERS ARE MOUNTED ON THE SCREWS AND ARE LOCATED BETWEEN THE BACK PANEL AND THE SUPPORTS, AND CAM SURFACES ARE FORMED ON THE LOCK MEMBERS TO COMPRESS THE WASHERS FOR POSITIVELY RETAINING THE BACK PANEL.

Jan. 19,1971 g ANTOlNE 3,55%,532

CHAIR ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 14. 1958 l/Vl/E/VTDR CHARLES K. ANTOINE BY Wmmi j g ATTORIVE S United States Patent 3,556,592 CHAIR ASSEMBLY CharlesK. Antoine, North Manchester, Ind., assignor to American Standard Inc.,New Castle, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 14, 1968, Ser.No. 752,553 Int. Cl. A47c 7/ 00, 7/20 US. Cl. 297-444 7 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a chair having a metalframe and wooden seat and back panels, it is common to attach the seatand back panels to the frame with threaded fasteners such as screwswhich extend through holes within the frame and are threaded into thepanels. In such an assembly, usually the heads of the fasteners orscrews are exposed. It is frequently desirable, however, to eliminatethe exposure to the fasteners not only from an appearance standpoint butalso for purposes of eliminating areas where dirt might collect andpreventing the fastener heads from scraping or scratching an adjacentchair or another object.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to animproved chair assembly and particularly to the mounting of a back panelon a pair of tubular back supports of a metal frame. The chair of theinvention eliminates the exposure of fasteners and provides for asimple, rigid and quick assembly.

In acordance with one embodiment of the invention, a wooden back panelof a chair is secured to a pair of upright square tubular supports of ametal frame by threading a set of four screws into expandable metalinserts projecting into blind holes formed within the rear surface ofthe back panel. A resilient washer is mounted on each screw, and theback panel is positioned so that the heads of the screws project throughcorresponding holes formed within the tubular supports. A lock channelis slidably mounted within each tubular support and has a pair of upperand lower slots each extending into an embossed portion of the channelso that longitudinal movement of each lock channel within its support iseflective to cam the screw heads into the support thereby drawing theback panel firmly against the two supports with the resilient washersbeing compressed therebetween.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENTS In the drawing, the chair shown in FIG. 1 includes a squaretubular frame 10 having a pair of front legs 12 connected to a pair ofrear legs 14 by a pair of sloping brace members 15. The rear legs 14extend upwardly to form a pair of square tubular back supports 16, and alaterally extending cross member 18 rigidly connects the lower portionsof the back supports 16. A wooden seat panel 20 is mounted on the crossmember 18 and a similar cross member (not shown) connecting the upperend portions of the front legs 12 and a wooden back panel 25 issupported by the two tubular back supports 16.

In accordance with the invention, the back panel 25 is secured to thetubular supports 16 by four fastener assemblies which include an upperand a lower machine screw for each support 16. Each screw 26 is threadedinto a tubular metal insert 28 (FIG. 2) which projects into a blind hole30 formed within the rear surface of the back panel 25. Each insert 28has a plurality of ears 31 which expand into the back panel 25 when thecorresponding screw 26 is threaded into the insert 28. The head 32 ofeach screw 26 projects through an aligned hole 33 formed within thefront wall of the corresponding tubular support 16.

An elongated lock member or channel 35 is slidably mounted within eachof the back supports 16 and has cross-sectional outer dimensionsslightly smaller than the inner dimensions of the corresponding backsupport 16 to prevent rotation or significant lateral shifting of eachlock channel within its support 16. Each lock channel 35 includes anupper and a lower slot 36 for receiving the two screws projectingrearwardly from the corresponding side of the back panel 25, and eachslot 36 has an enlarged end portion 37. The other end portion of eachslot 36 extends into an embossed or recessed portion 38 (FIG. 3) whichforms a lower cam surface 39. A resilient Washer 40 is mounted on eachscrew 26 and is located between the rear surface of the back panel 25and the front surface of the corresponding back support 16.

To assemble the back panel 25 onto the frame 10, the screws 26 arethreaded into the inserts 28 until the heads 32 of the screws are spaceda predetermined distance from the rear surface of the back panel 25. Thelock channels 35 are inserted downwardly into the tubular back supports16, and each lock channel 35 is temporarily located within thecorresponding tubular back support 16 by inserting a pin or nail 42through aligned holes 43 formed within the upper end portion of the lockchannel so that when the nail engages the upper end surface of thecorresponding tubular support 16, the enlarged end portions 37 of thetwo slots 36 formed within each lock channel 35 are aligned within thecorresponding holes 33 within the adjacent back support 16.

The back panel 25 is then positioned so that the heads 32 of the fourscrews 46 project through the holes 33 and the correspondingly alignedenlarged end portions 37 of the slots 36. The nails 42 are retractedfrom the holes 43, and each lock channel 35 is pressed or drivendownwardly into its corresponding back support 16 so that the heads 32of the pair of screws 26 within each back support 16 are cammed furtherinwardly by the surfaces 39. This camming action causes the back panel25 to be drawn firmly towards the front surface of the back support 16compressing the resilient washers 40. After each channel 35 is drivendownwardly until the upper ends of the slots 36 seat on the screws 26, asquare plastic plug 45 is pressed into the upper end portion of eachback support 16 to close the support. Each plug 45 has a peripheralflange 46 which seats upon the upper end surface of the correspondingback support 16 to prevent the plug from being forced further into theback support.

Referring to FIG. 5 which shows a modification of the invention, aresilient cushion 50 having a wooden base panel 51 and'a'vin'yl covering'52, is secured to a back panel 25' by a series of screws 53 with theedges of the covering 52 sandwiched between the panels 51 and 25'. Aseries of four holes 54 are formed within the back panel 25', and aT-nut 55 is mounted within each hole 54. The screws 26 are threaded intothe T-nuts 55, and the back panel 25' and cushion assembly 50 isattached to the pair of tubular back supports 16 in the same manner asdescribed above for attaching the back panel 25.

From the drawing and the above description, it becomes apparent that achair constructed in accordance with the invention provides desirablefeatures and advantages. For example, by employing the lock channels 35within the square tubular back supports 16 for engaging the heads 32 ofthe screws 26, the back panel 25 is positively secured to the frameWithout exposing any fasteners. That is, the heads 32 of the screws 26are enclosed within the tubular back support 16, and the threaded endsof the screws 26 are enclosed within the blind holes 30 formed withinthe back panel 25.

The lock. channels 35 also provide for convenient and rapid attachmentof the back panel to the frame 10. For example, the screws 26 andinserts 28 are mounted on the back panel 25 as a sub-assembly which isthen secured to the back supports 16 simply by pressing downwardly onthe lock channels 35. The attachment of the back panel 25 or 25' alsoprovides a positive and rigid assembly so that a lateral or verticalimpact on the back panel will not release it from the back supports 16.

The specific construction of each lock channel 35 is also significant.That is, each lock channel 35 has a crosssectional size slightly smallerthan the square opening of its corresponding support 16 so that the twoslots 36 within each lock channel are precisely orientated andpositioned relative to the two holes 33 within each back support 16whereby the screw heads 32 are assured of being received within theslots 36 when the back panel 25 is positioned with the screws 26projecting through the holes 33. Moreover, the cam surfaces 39 areeffective to compress the resilient washers 40 which assure that theback panel 25 or 25' will remain in fixed relation with the back support16 and the screws 26 will not loosen.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferredembodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes maybe made therein without departing from the scope of the invention whichis defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a chair assembly including a frame having at least one elongatedtubular back support, a back member and a seat member mounted on saidframe, an improved attachment for said back member to said back support,comprising a fastener secured to said back member and having a headportion, means defining an opening within said back support forreceiving said headport-ion ofsaid fastener, a lock member disposedwithin said back support for longitudinal sliding'movement between areleased position and a locked position and including means for engagingsaid head portion of said fastener, said lock member being effective toretain said back member on said back support in response to longitudinalmovement of said lock member within said back support from said releasedposition to said locked position after said head portion of saidfastener is inserted within said opening, and said lock membercooperating with said fastener and said opening within said back supportto prevent removal of said back member from said back support withoutfirst sliding said lock member to said' released position.

2, A chair assembly as defined in claim 1 including means in said lockmember defining a slot having an enlarged end portion for receiving saidhead portion of said fastener, and said engaging means comprises a camsurface adjacent said slot.

3. A chair assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said tubular backsupport has a generally square cross-sec tional configuration, and saidlock member has a channel like cross-sectional configuration forming aclose sliding fit within said support.

4. A chair assembly as defined in claim 1 including a resilient spacermember disposed between said back member and said back support and beingdeformable in response to longitudinal movement of said lock member.

5. A chair assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said back membercomprises a wood panel, said fastener comprises a machine screw, meansdefining an opening within said panel, and an expanded insert disposedwithin said opening and having internal thread means for receiving saidscrew.

6. A chair assembly as defined in claim 1 including at least two saidfasteners secured to said back member in spaced relation, at least twospaced said holes within said back support for receiving said fasteners,and means on said lock member for engaging both said fasteners.

7. A chair assembly as defined in claim 1 including a plug memberdisposed within said tubular back support adjacent said lock member andeffectively retaining said lock member in said locked position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS

